Ionization balance devices refer to devices that generate positive ions and negative ions for delivery to a target area. Ionization balance devices are commonly used in a wide variety of industries in order to remove or minimize static charge accumulation in a work area. Ionization balance devices are also commonly referred to as static charge neutralizers.
One specific type of ionization balance device is commonly called an ionizing blower. An ionizing blower typically includes an ion source that generates positive ions and negative ions using the so-called “corona method.” An ionizing blower uses a fan (or fans) to direct the ions toward a target area of interest.
With the corona method, a high voltage (e.g., 5-20 kV) is applied to a set of sharp points (often needle-like structures), and an intense electric field is established near these sharp points. The field accelerates free electrons to a sufficiently high energy in order to allow the free electrons to collide with molecules so as to ionize the molecules. When the voltage on one of the points is positive, positive ions are repelled into the environment and when the voltage on one of the points is negative, negative ions are repelled into the environment. The blower can deliver the ionized air (including the positive ions and negative ions) towards a target area. Corona ionizers may be designed to work with AC voltage or DC voltage, and the use of AC or DC voltage may provide different benefits. Other types of ion sources also exist and may be used in ionization balance devices. For example, ion sources may also use ionizing radiation to generate ions via the so-called alpha ionizer method.
With ionization balance devices, it can be very important to monitor and control the ion output of the devices. Such monitoring and control may address ion balance and ion air current. Ion balance generally occurs when the number of positive ions equals the number of negative ions delivered from the ionization device. The ion air current may include the number of ions delivered per unit area to a target area, and may be affected by the type and quality of the ion source as well as the strength of the fan (or fans) that deliver the ionized air from the ionization balance devices.